The Lipscomb Bisons and the Arkansas Razorbacks meet Wednesday in college basketball action from Bud Walton Arena. Here’s an Arkansas vs Lipscomb prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Arkansas vs Lipscomb pick.
Lipscomb Bisons Betting Preview
Last year the Bisons matched their 20-win total from the previous campaign, going 20-12 with an 11-5 run in ASUN Conference matchups. Lipscomb finished behind Eastern Kentucky and Stetson in the standings. Their last game was a loss to North Alabama in the conference tourney.
In their season opener versus Duquesne on Tuesday, the Bisons held a 41-34 edge by halftime. Lipscomb scored 36 points from there in a 77-72 win. Jacob Ognacevic led the way on a double-double with 30 points and 10 boards. Will Pruitt addeed 15 points and six rebounds as well.
Arkansas Razorbacks Betting Preview
Over on the Arkansas side, they couldn’t hit .500 last year, going 16-17 with a 6-12 overall run in the SEC. The Razorbacks would finish ahead of only Vanderbilt and Missouri with that mark, eventually falling to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament.
This year the Razorbacks get a new head coach in John Calipari, formerly of Kentucky fame. He’ll preside over a slew of graduation and transfer losses, including Davonte Davis (Oklahoma State), Khalif Battle (Gonzaga) and Tramon Mark (Texas). Trevon Brazile is the lone returning scholarship player.
Why the Arkansas Razorbacks will win
- Arkansas has won 42 of its last 43 games against non-Conference opponents at Bud Walton Arena.
- Lipscomb has lost each of its last six games against the Southeastern Conference.
- Arkansas has won the first half in each of its last 13 Wednesday night games against non-Conference opponents.
Why the Lipscomb Bisons will win
- Lipscomb has won five of its last six games.
- Lipscomb has won the first half in each of its last three games against non-Conference opponents.
Arkansas vs Lipscomb Prediction
I’m likely going to lean toward Arkansas. Probably staying away until we see what the Razorbacks look like on the court, however. There are plenty of new faces on the roster at Arkansas, but the good news is that Calipari will have them playing well quickly. There’s a good mixture of youth, size, speed and experience here, with transfers like Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee) adding major talent. Arkansas should be good right away.
As for Lipscomb, they posted a pretty good showing versus Duquesne in their opener, shooting 52.1 percent from the field with 32 rebounds. The free-throw shooting was lacking though (69.2 percent), and the Bisons had 17 turnovers. This game will mark a big uptick in competition.